


when push comes to shove

by thetakeover



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Supergirl Secret Santa Fic Exchange 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-09
Updated: 2016-12-09
Packaged: 2018-09-07 11:03:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8798356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thetakeover/pseuds/thetakeover
Summary: “Alright but you gotta promise you’re not gonna be mad if I tell you what happened.” Alex put her empty glass down, having taken the last, rather large sip of her bourbon.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [whoeverdares](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whoeverdares/gifts).



> Hey whoeverdares, I see you 'round on tumblr sometimes, so from one mutual to another, I hope you enjoy the fic! :))

_Lucy’s heart sank. Keeping Alura at her house? The_ worst _idea. Ever. The past month at the DEO she had been slowly falling more and more for Kara’s biological mother which had been unexpected and also like skating on thin-ice._

_She’d be a pile of warm ashes if Kara found out._

_Honestly, the amount of fear and doubt swelling inside her made the scenario attractive._

_But, God, what Lucy wouldn’t do for those inquisitive blue-grey eyes. She was hooked, without a doubt._

“So, this is my apartment… it’s not much but what can you expect when you work for the government, right?” Lucy laughed nervously as she stepped into the apartment, closing the door behind Alura. “I mean… maybe you don’t know about that yet. Doesn’t matter.”

Lucy stepped around the island counter and grabbed two glasses. “Thirsty? Hungry? Make yourself at home, technically it’s your home as well as mine for the next… however long.”

“Lucy?”

Her heart liked to freak out whenever Alura said her name. The way she said it… it always sounded special. Only for her. “Yeah?”

“Why would they let me go when I am not yet in full control of my abilities?” Alura stood across the counter from Lucy, and smiled softly as the glass Lucy was filling with water began to overflow.

Lucy shook out of her frozen state when cold water ran over her hands. She shut off the water, pouring a little out and grabbing a cloth to dry the glass before sliding it across to Alura gently. “It’s strange. I wasn’t really looped in on that conversation.” Lucy took a sip, speaking into her glass, “would’ve liked to be.”

She set her empty glass down, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, meeting Alura’s eyes, internally kicking herself at the fact even meeting her gaze was difficult and made her train of thought run off the tracks every time.

“I’m the only one with free time. Alex has her hands full with Astra, Kara’s dealing with threats, and I’m reading the encyclopaedia of cats.” Lucy laughed softly. “Apparently, that makes me most suited to help you integrate to the outside world.”

“We are inside.”

“Outside of the DEO.” Lucy clarified, looking away from Alura reluctantly. “We’ll start small, okay?”

Alura nodded, knowing she was a liability. An unstable element. Given the powers of destruction when she was nothing but a kind soul was hard to come to terms with. She didn’t want to fight, or even use these powers.

Documentation had only proved that sometimes she wouldn’t have a choice. Sensory overload, inner instincts. Every single case of power-misuse or accidents from Kara was stored in file cabinets in a sub-level of the DEO.

Alura wanted to leave her mistakes back on Krypton, or whatever was left of it. Rocks floating in space.

“May I have a tour?” Her voice was soft, but loud only to herself. Lucy’s head snapped up and nodded once.

“Right, yeah, you need a tour. Almost forgot.” Lucy sighed, putting her glass down with Alura’s empty one, almost reaching out for her hand but she decided against it.

Lucy led Alura through the apartment, showing her all the rooms, even her own bedroom in case Alura needed her in the middle of the night.

“I sleep easily, so don’t be afraid to wake me up for anything.” Lucy looked Alura in the eyes. “I’m serious. Anything at all.” She smiled, pushing open the door to Alura’s room, the one right next to Lucy’s. “This is your room.”

Alura walked in and looked around as Lucy opened the curtains to let some light in. It seemed a little bit dusty, unused. She was grateful either way. “Thank you, Lucy. It is very nice.”

“I would have… cleaned. I will clean, this place needs a dusting. Make yourself at home, maybe there’s something interesting on TV?” She threw the wardrobe open, grabbing some cleaning supplies.

“I could help you, are you sure?” A sharp nod of Lucy’s head sent Alura on her way to the living room. She sat on the couch, finding it comfier than it looked. She turned on the TV, comfortable that she knew what the controls were after spending a couple of months in the DEO.

Instead of listening in to the TV, Alura found herself listening to the slightly elevated heartrate that belonged to Lucy as she cleaned, listen to her get breathless after reaching to dust all the hard-to-reach spots.

She closed her eyes, feeling this urge deep inside to go and help, to be useful, because that was something she felt strongly about herself these days.

Alura drifted off, finding that Lucy’s breathing and heartbeat were a lot more soothing to her than she anticipated.

Later when Lucy finished cleaning she entered the living room and found Alura fast asleep on the couch, watching a documentary about earth. She smiled, grabbing her bag and fishing out her phone.

She moved to the kitchen, calling Alex.

_“Danvers.”_

“Hey it’s Lucy. Alura fell asleep on the couch, what’s the um… how should I wake her up? Without setting her off? Like heat-vision or super-strength wise.”

_“Well I learned about a Kryptonian song from Kara and that helped when I started living with Astra. I’ll send you the English lyrics.”_

“Thanks Alex, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

_“Yeah, see you then.”_

Alex hung up and a minute later Lucy got an email with an attachment, the lyrics with sheet music. Luckily enough, Lucy used to be a music student before she found out about sports.

She sat down next to Alura and sang softly, smiling when Alura began to stir and then open her eyes.

“Lucy? Where did you learn that?” Alura’s voice was rough with sleep and Lucy felt a blush begin to creep up her neck at the sound.

“I didn’t want to wake you up and startle you… so I called Alex. She sent me this song.” Lucy stood and turned off the TV, looking back at Alura who was still stretched out along the couch, looking like the most elegant person alive. “Hungry?”

Alura’s stomach growled and her eyes widened at the sound. “Well there’s my answer. I’ll make pizza. Can’t go wrong with pizza.”

“Kara likes pizza. She brought some to the DEO once, I remember enjoying it.” Alura noted, standing and sitting at the counter across from Lucy as she prepared dinner.

“That’s good. The pizza wouldn’t have been homemade though, and that’s what I’m doing here.” Lucy winked and Alura stared at her for a moment before winking back.

Lucy almost dropped the pizza tray.

* * *

 

Alex jumped over the couch, grabbing the remote in mid-air. She landed hard, staring up at Astra with wide eyes.

“I said ‘pass the remote’, not to throw it at terminal velocity!” She huffed, getting back on her feet and dusting herself off, changing the channel on the TV to the news.

Astra smiled sheepishly, pulling her knees to her chest from where she sat on the couch. “I apologise.”

She sat down next to Astra. “You just like pushing my buttons.”

“You’re not a robot, Alex. You have no buttons to push. Except maybe…”

“Don’t finish that sentence.” Alex flushed, watching Astra hold back laughter out of her periphery.

There was a knock at the door and Alex jumped, staring at Astra. “See? This is why, that might be Kara. I didn’t want a repeat performance of the last time you said something suggestive.”

Alex heard a cough and froze.

“Are you going to answer the door, or should I?” Astra asked, peering through Alex and the door to see Kara waiting there, fidgeting awkwardly.

“Right, yeah.” Alex unlocked the door and pulled it open, smiling innocently at Kara. “Hey, come in.” She closed the door behind Kara, locking it again. “What’s up?”

Kara dropped her bag by the door and hung up her jacket, holding a bag of take out. “Well I was all alone and it seems my own mother and aunt are constantly in better company than I am, so I took matters into my own hands. Who’s hungry?”

“I’m sure Astra’s hungry. I’ll get drinks.” Alex busied herself in the kitchen to let Kara and Astra talk and enjoy some dinner. She owed it to Kara, to let her spend time with her biological family. It had never been her intention to fall for Astra, or to capture Astra’s attention the way that she did.

She also owed it to Kara and Astra to tell them what was really behind putting Lucy to the task of supervising Alura and helping her settle in.

In reality, Alura and Kara had yet to hit it off, to repair their mother-daughter relationship. Alex could tell the differences between Astra and Alura better than anyone else. Kara’s opinion of it all was clouded by her past, by the life on Krypton. Alex’s vision was clear, unbiased by family ties.

Kara was fully grown, the hero of her city, creator of her own destiny. Astra was hardened by war, having lived a life that was influenced constantly by others, until now. Alura was much less in control of everything than Astra was. Her powers were strong but unwanted. Alex could tell that Alura felt like she didn’t belong, didn’t deserve to be alive and in the company of her family and people that cared about her.

So, Alex returned to Kara and Astra with drinks, stealing a pot sticker and earning a glare from Kara. She smiled in return, sitting back and sipping at her bourbon.

“I wonder how Lucy is handling it, living with my mother.” Kara muttered, picking at a pot sticker.

Alex nearly choked on her bourbon, earning questioning looks from both Kara and Astra.

“Are you okay, Alex?” Astra was concerned, of course. Kara just looked sceptical.

“You know something, don’t you?” Kara narrowed her eyes, staring at Alex. “Tell me. Something to do with Lucy? With the arrangement?”

“Alright but you have to promise you’re not going to be mad it me if I tell you what happened.” Alex put her empty glass down, having taken the last, rather large sip of her bourbon.

“Okay.” Kara nodded for Alex to continue.

“I came into work early, back when we were stationed in the cave. I went to the locker room to put my bag away and found Alura there sitting on one of the benches.”

* * *

 

_3 Weeks Ago_

Alura liked the locker room. It was cold, metallic, sharp towards all of her senses. In some ways, it was like a polar opposite to Krypton. Small windows only to let light in, fluorescent lights that were more blue than red.

Feeling the cold metal against the backs of her thighs through her plain clothes grounded her, reminded her of where she was. Her thoughts tended to wander back to the warmth, the redness of Krypton. More often than not, they were painful memories that seemed so distant, like they weren’t even real.

She pulled a small notepad from her pocket, and a pencil. One of the few things that the DEO allowed her to have.

Lucy had been the one to thank for that. Lucy had been sitting with her and checking in with her more than anyone else. Her own daughter was busy keeping the city safe, her sister was learning to live in the outside world with help from Alex. Lucy wasn’t really tied to anyone, just like her.

It had been too easy to fall for her. It also scared her to death.

Under the quiet whine of the lights, Alura put pencil to paper and drew. Each drawing was a journey, a happy one. At the beginning, there was no clear picture of what the end result would be. However, 10 minutes later a simple one-line drawing of a woman with hair that reached to just above the shoulder took up the page.

It was undeniable, she had drawn Lucy.

She flicked back through the last couple of pages of drawings. Lucy, another Lucy, a hyper-realistic Lucy, and a poem about Lucy.

Well then.

Lost in the journey and the realisation of what had been in the forefront of her mind the past few days, Alura hadn’t realised that Alex was standing behind her, peering over her shoulder with interest.

“Oh, Alex. I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.” She tried to hide a blush, hoping that Alex hadn’t seen all the drawings of Lucy.

“You’re very talented, seems you passed that down to Kara.” Alex smiled, opening her locker and stuffing her bag inside. She pulled her utility belt out and clipped it around her waist. “How’s the training going?”

Alura smiled, but it wasn’t sincere. “It is… okay. Lucy is a good teacher.”

“Just keep in mind you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. The training is just to help in case you find yourself in danger. We don’t expect you to become SuperMother.” Alex laughed softly, putting in her earpiece and holstering her pistol.

“I just… do not want to be a waste of time, Alex. I still feel the expectation. I can feel eyes on me a lot of the time, like they expect me to perform.” Alura allowed herself a moment of vulnerability. “I would like to reconnect with Kara. But I feel like something is broken between us. I can only hope it will repair with time.”

Alex sat down next to Alura and placed a hand on her shoulder gently. “Kara missed you. More than you know. After Astra explained her side of the story… she was torn. But you’re her mother, and if you’re here now to do good by her and by everyone else… repairing that connection will be worth the wait.”

“Thank you, Alex.”

“Any time. I’ll go find Lucy for you.” Alex stood and left the room, left Alura alone in the cold room under the whining lights, clutching at her notepad.

* * *

 

“It sounds like my sister was lovesick.” Astra noted and shot and glare at Kara when she felt a sharp hit at her shoulder. “She seems rather… ‘hung-up’ on Lucy.”

“Yeah, she really is.” Alex agreed.

Kara frowned and stared off into the distance. The concept of her mother falling for Lucy was a hard one to wrap her head around. She felt like she had to, otherwise she would lose her mother. Eliza, Alex, everyone close to her had been accepting of her and Cat, so she would have to learn to accept as they had done.

“So, what did you have to do with the arrangement?” Astra sat forward, resting her elbows on her knees, watching Alex pace back and forth behind the other couch.

“I managed to… persuade Hank that it was a good idea. To have Alura stay with Lucy.” Alex walked around to the front of the couch and sat down. “It didn’t take much, because I already had Astra and Kara didn’t need anything distracting her from doing her work as Supergirl.”

“You set up my mother… with one of my close friends… and didn’t even tell me?” Kara threw a pillow at Alex’s head, nailing her in the face.

Alex fell back into the couch, clutching at the pillow and brushing hair from her face. She nodded sheepishly, holding up the pillow like it would stop Kara from turning her into a pile of ashes.

“I am glad that Alura has someone.”

She stared at Astra over the pillow. “Really?” When Astra nodded, Alex smiled, glad that _someone_ was backing her up on this.

“Well the rest is history, as they say. I made a bet with Vasquez about how long it would last before they figure everything out.” Kara almost threw another pillow at Alex, held one up in a sharp motion and managed to make Alex flinch.

“You promised you wouldn’t be mad at me!” She argued, moving from the couch to the kitchen to grab a beer. Kara wouldn’t dare throw a pillow at her in that part of the room.

* * *

 

Alura pushed the sheets back and let her feet touch the cold wood floor, let the cool sensation calm her. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table.

3:21am.

She had been lying there in bed staring at the ceiling, willing sleep to take over, for more than 3 hours now. Lucy’s words echoed in her mind, that her door would be open, that she could come in at any time, for anything. Right now, nothing sounded more appealing. She felt so alone, and the only solution in sight was Lucy’s sleeping form.

She left her room and slipped through Lucy’s open door, and stood in the doorway for a moment, watching, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did, so she moved closer and sat on the unoccupied side of the bed.

“Lucy?”

Alura’s voice was soft but it was enough to wake Lucy. “Alura?” Lucy sat up, tucking messy strands of sleep-curled hair behind her ears. “Everything okay? Can I get you something?”

“I cannot… sleep. Then again… I haven’t slept in a week.”

“A week!?” Lucy blinked sleep away, covering Alura’s hand with her own. Hopefully Alura couldn’t see her blush in the dark.

Alura sighed softly, the sound shaky to Lucy’s ears. “Apparently, I am still adjusting to living on Earth. I cannot sleep without seeing Krypton. Without seeing the destruction that I had a hand in causing.”

She felt Lucy’s thumb rubbing gentle circles over the back of her hand, pulling her back into the room and out of her thoughts.

“It’s okay. My sister Lois went through something similar, she suffered PTSD from Afghanistan. I helped her through it, she might not agree with me saying that, but it’s true.” Lucy looked into Alura’s eyes, they glinted in the dark, reflecting the moonlight streaming in through the window. “You shouldn’t be alone.”

Lucy pushed the sheets back, patting the space next to her.

“Get in.”

Alura tucked her legs in, getting under the sheets, lying on her side facing Lucy. Her eyes filled with wonder, at how easily Lucy let her in, at how comfortable she felt in her presence.

“You can come closer if you need, I get pretty warm.” Lucy smiled, pressing a swift kiss to Alura’s forehead, blushing furiously after, but rolling onto her side facing away from Alura. She pulled the sheets back up over her shoulder, wriggling slightly to get comfortable again.

It was about 10 minutes until she felt Alura’s hand rest on her side.

Lucy didn’t move, didn’t give any indication she was still awake. Without thinking about it, her training from the army kicked in, her heart staying calm and her breathing rhythmic. She wanted to be steady for Alura, knowing the woman could listen in on her heart and her breathing without even trying.

When they both drifted off, Alura’s hand had slipped around to Lucy’s front, and Alura was almost pressed flush against Lucy’s back.

In the morning Lucy rolled onto her back and registered the weight draped over her stomach. She opened her eyes, blinking away sleep, making out Alura’s form pressed against her side.

She reached over and grabbed her phone off the nightstand, sending a text to Alex.

_L: You planned this didn’t you._

_A: You just needed a push in the right direction, Lane._

_L: Sparring Room, lunch time._

Alura stirred and Lucy placed her phone back on the nightstand and looked to her, watching her start to move and wake up. When Alura’s eyes opened and met Lucy’s, something clicked.

“Good morni-“ Alura began, only to be cut off by Lucy’s lips.

Despite being caught off guard, Alura was quick to realise what was happening, and return the kiss. It was gentle, tentative, lazy. It felt like the definition of an early morning.

Lucy pulled back slowly, taking a moment before opening her eyes, seeing Alura’s blue-grey ones staring back at her.

“Good morning.” She breathed, not daring to move an inch.

Alura blinked and smiled, it was soft, easy. “Good morning Lucy.”

“Did you uh… did you sleep well?” Lucy relaxed into the sheets a little, Alura propped up on her side looking down over Lucy with this soft expression that just melted her.

“I have not slept that well in… decades. If you are counting the time spent on my way from Krypton to Earth.” Alura laughed softly and it sounded like music to Lucy’s ears. She considered pinching herself to see if she was still dreaming.

Lucy touched Alura’s cheek, as if checking to make sure she was real. “Is this okay? Are we okay?”

“Of course we are Lucy.”

She felt relieved at that, and leaned up to kiss Alura again, harder than the first time, but still exploratory. “I’m going to kill Alex.” Lucy breathed against Alura’s lips, prompting the other woman to pull back and look at her with confusion.

“Why?”

“She set us up.” Lucy smiled. “Maybe I should thank her instead.”

“Set us up?”

Lucy had to remind herself that Alura was still new to all of this. She had a feeling that she would now have a big part in helping Alura learn. “She thinks we would make a good couple, obviously. I think we were headed that way… unless I’m reading all of this wrong. I mean… you did kiss me back, both times.”

Alura pressed her lips to Lucy’s again, this time in a reassuring motion.

“Just like that.” Lucy mumbled, returning the kiss before Alura could retreat again.

“Who could be angry at Alex? She has done nothing but help since before I arrived. With Astra, Kara, and now us.”

“Us.” Lucy repeated, her smile growing wider.

* * *

 

Alex stepped out of the elevator and headed down the hallway until it opened up into the center of operations of the DEO. She stood at the round table, checking some of the screens, streams coming in from cameras around the city, and scanners looking for non-human activity.

“Morning Alex!” Kara smiled but it didn’t quite reach her eyes, Alex could tell.

“Do you hate me?”

“I do not. I… dislike you… a little bit.” Kara pouted. “Less than last night though.”

“Good. That’s _something_.” Alex pulled out a tablet from under the lip of the round table and began scanning through data. Mostly atmospheric data.

One moment, silence in the room, save for the sound of people at work.

The next, a fist landed hard against Alex’s jaw, dropping her hard.

“Lucy!” Kara yelled, dropping and holding Alex close, inspecting her jaw for any breaks. There was a small fracture which would need to be inspected further. “What in Rao’s name was that for?”

“She set me up. And your mother.” Lucy shook out her hand as Alura caught up, approaching from behind.

“I would like to thank Alex.” Alura placed a hand on Lucy’s shoulder, smiling down at her daughter and Alex. “It was… what do you say? A much-needed push in the right direction?”

Alex shot a bloody smile up at Alura and winked at Lucy, starting to feel like the anger and pain would be worth it in the end.


End file.
